


You've Had A Good Run (I'm Sure She Enjoyed You)

by convolutedConcussion



Series: Wandering [3]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Raise Your Hand If You Can Find The Doc Scratch Cameo, Secret-Telling, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-29
Updated: 2011-10-29
Packaged: 2017-10-25 01:30:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/270206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/convolutedConcussion/pseuds/convolutedConcussion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"I want my bike.  And my wallet," you say frankly.  "And my jacket," you add after a moment's consideration.</i></p><p><i>She stands, slowly.  She looks every bit as dangerous and mysterious as she did that first moment you saw her.  "When I was a kid, I wanted a pony."  With that, she leaves for the kitchen.</i></p><p>Sequel to "Wicked Feleena"</p>
            </blockquote>





	You've Had A Good Run (I'm Sure She Enjoyed You)

_"I didn't expect you."_

Kanaya scoffs. "You leave in the night and you do not expect me to follow. You obviously do not know as much about me as you seem to think," she says, voice very affectionate. "Will you invite us in?"

Rose's lips twist in a small, mysterious smile. "Won't you all come in? John, I feel every ounce of the perverseness of inviting you into your own home," she returns, her eyes on the boy as she opens the door further.

"Rose, I never understand half the words you say to me," he laughs, stepping past her.

"Ah, this is Vriska," Kanaya says, looking back at you. "She will be staying with us until she figures out what exactly she needs to do now that she is here."

As if she'd never met you before, Rose offers her hand. It slips into yours, her grip firm, her eyes appearing kind but with a hard edge. She's challenging you, silently. _Say a word, I dare you. Do you think they'll believe you? Some hitchhiker? Some nobody?_ You feel your jaw set as she says more to Kanaya than to you, "There isn't much room." She leads the way inside, leaving you to close the door behind you. You watch her fingers twine with the other girl's with a well-deserved eye-roll. John has tossed himself across the length of one couch in the small living room, but upon seeing you immediately sits up.

"You can sit here, if you want!" he says happily, practically bouncing where he sits. "TNT is having some kind of Nic Cage marathon, it's _amazing!_ " he cries, gesturing at the TV. You think Con-Air is on right now. Being a rather avid Nic Cage fan, you take the spot on the couch next to him. "Oh, gosh, we're so lucky! It's just starting!"

Rose and Kanaya stuff themselves together on the love seat. You could almost be convinced that this girl is a different Rose from the one you'd met walking down the road. Perhaps it's the effect of having the other girl's soothing presence so near, or maybe it's just an act. She's all softness and warmth, curling into Kanaya's grasp and speaking in soft tones, worrying over her long trip and carding a gentle hand through her hair. Her view of the world contracts entirely, excluding John and yourself. She has eyes for nothing and no one else and you begin to think that if this is an act, it's a very good one. After an hour or so, she starts urging Kanaya to take a nap, giving her gentle, softly-spoken hints of joining her.

At a commercial, John, whose eyes had been glued to the screen and whose lips had been moving silently with every line of the movie, turns to the two of them and says to Kanaya, "If you're sleepy, go take a nap! You drove all night! You should definitely go! Rose knows where the guest room is." He opens his mouth to continue, but his phone goes off, and he manages, "It's Dave!" before tearing off to another room to take the call in privacy.

"--Yeah, it's the second door on the left. I'm going to make a sandwich and I'll be in in a few minutes," Rose is saying to an exhausted-looking Kanaya. The latter stands and makes her way down the hallway, the former turns to you and asks, "Vriska, was it? Are you hungry?"

You frown. "N-no, we had breakfast," you respond. When you hear a door close behind you, you say, "You know damn well what my name is, you can stop fucking pretending."

Her smile goes from kind to cold. "I cannot imagine what cruel deity brought you here, but I can tell you that you won't be staying long."

"I want my bike. And my wallet," you say frankly. "And my jacket," you add after a moment's consideration.

She stands, slowly. She looks every bit as dangerous and mysterious as she did that first moment you saw her. "When I was a kid, I wanted a pony." With that, she leaves for the kitchen.

Practically snarling, you follow. "It's my shit," you hiss.

She hums some passive acknowledgement but she's turned her back on you to rummage in the fridge. She lays a head of lettuce, a tomato, a cucumber, and a few bags of sliced bell peppers and onions on the counter, followed by a small jar of mayo. "Tell me, what exactly is your plan, now that you've found me?" she asks. Her tone is conversational, as if she were talking about the weather.

"What do you even what me to say? That I'm going to go batshit?"

She laughs. "Oh, no, be realistic. We both know you're not going to make a scene." She makes her sandwich quickly, puts everything away, and turns to you, plate in hand. "While you flounder, I think I'll go watch TV with my girlfriend," she says almost cheerily.

\---

You meet her brother later that day. For the most part, he seems like an insufferable prick. He utters a single, "Sup?" at you (or at John) when he walks in and plops into the chair Rose and Kanaya vacated so long ago. He doesn't say another word to either of you for hours. You aren't keeping track, per say, but it takes him two movies to look at you and ask, "Who even are you?" Even behind that stoic face and those shades, you feel his disdainful confusion.

John just snorts. "This is Vriska. She rode in with Kan."

The skinny blond's gaze stays fixed on your face for something like five minutes and you want to smack those aviators off his stupid face.

"Vris, this is Dave, my boyfriend and Rose's brother," the other boy continues, unperturbed. "He's always like this, you get used to it." Slowly, Dave gets up and stalks around the couch to whisper something in John's ear. "Oh, and that's somehow my fault," he grumbles good-naturedly. Seemingly catching Dave off-guard, he arches up to catch the other boy's lips with his own. "Go to bed, grumpy, I'll be in when the thing blows up, I love that part."

Dave gives you one more look before saying, "G'night, then."

\---

A few days after your arrival in El Paso, Kanaya takes you to the police department to file a report on your missing bike in clothes that she let you borrow. Her wardrobe, contrary to what you originally believed, is not always quite so... will you say, formal. It's not as provocative or overtly sexual as Rose's, but it's classy in its chastity. She's taller even than you, so the jeans she gives you are too long, you have to roll them up a few times to walk, but the plain black T-shirt fits perfectly. After some pressing, you also allow her to do your makeup before the two of you leave. Something about looking less menacing.

"Is the eyepatch for show or does it really have a use?" she asks bluntly as she applies your lipstick.

You are silent for so long, you guess, that she pulls away. "When I was a teenager, my... neighbor? This creepy older dude with a thing for little girls gave me a magic eight ball that he'd painted white. It, um, it blew up in my face, took out the eye," you explain, shrugging.

As she swipes something--concealor?--just under the edge of the patch, she whispers, "Oh."

"Yeah."

"It would seem that, given what I have come to know of you, your luck is not all that good," she says, wincing a bit.

You start to contradict her but you clamp your painted lips shut. You suppose your abysmal luck involving things that actually matter supercedes your awesome gambling skills. When she finishes your face, she brushes and braids your hair. Where Rose is this whole time, you're unsure.

\---

Report filed, the two of you head back to John and Dave's apartment. As she drives, she tells you how she and Rose met. According to her, the two of them went to the same university, Kanaya studying fashion design and Rose psychology, and they connected over their mutual love of string instruments. "She plays the violin, and I play cello," she tells you.

At her brother's place, Rose has set up two music stands and when the two of you enter, she looks just so damned pleased with herself. "One of Dave's friends gave me a discount on some really beautiful instruments. I thought we could play. John's been harassing me since I got here for it," she says, kissing her girlfriend gently.

Kanaya picks up a green folder on the table, flipping it open gingerly. "Kodaly and Klein? Daring. Did you buy these, too?" she asks. In spite of her detached tone, you can tell just how happy she is. Practically glowing. In a way that isn't annoying. Which in itself kind of pisses you off.

"They came in the cases."

Later that afternoon, they play together for you and John. You have no real appreciation for music, classical or otherwise, nor for composers. But even you can appreciate their passion for the music and, it would seem, each other. More often than not, Kanaya's eyes are on Rose and just as often they were on the papers before her. Even Rose softens, face flushed with exertion and, you think, real admiration. When they come to the end of what you think is their third number, Rose puts her sheet music on the couch beside her before starting a slow, mournful tune. Whether this is from memory or imagination, you don't know, but Kanaya follows in the same attitude. The pain of such a song--is it a song if their are no words?--is apparent and John, who is seated on the floor next to your chair, leans back and sighs, looking overcome with melancholy. You try to wrinkle your nose at him, but his expressiveness must just be part of his charm.

The final note hangs in the air. The silence that follows is tense. After a few moments, John leaps up and asks you cheerily if you want to help him with dinner. You reluctantly agree but after setting the sauteed onions on fire, he tells you to take a seat, saying happily, "You can just do dishes!"

\---

"You know, the ruffian look you usually sport is nothing compared to you dressing like a normal member of society, charming, I'm sure, as your everyday wear is," Rose says from behind you as you"re washing dishes. "Kanaya has that effect on people."

"How many times have you cheated on her?" you ask a little viciously.

She cocks a brow at you. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just curious. I mean, she's a good woman and not dumb at all, and I'm just wondering how often you've taken advantage of her. I'd hate to learn she's been sharing all her goodness with some ungrateful ho," you reply off-handedly.

"You don't know _anything_ about me, Vriska," she scoffs.

"You _fucked_ me after less than a day of knowing me!"

Rolling her eyes, she responds, "Takes two."

"You fucking child, I'm single!" you say a bit too loudly.

Rose steps very close, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Tell her, then. I'm fucking _begging_ you," she challenges. "Tell her about the fucking, and the bike, and the weed. Tell her about the lies. I'm dying to see how that goes over. C'mon. Right now."

"There will be no need for that," a voice says far to your left.

You both turn. Kanaya, jaw clenched and eyes cold, regards the two of you. "Kanaya--"

"No," she interrupts, holding a hand up to halt your explanation. She narrows her eyes at Rose. "Is it true?"

"You can't seriously--"

"Is. It. True?" Now you think you see tears in her eyes.

Barely audible, Rose whispers, "Yes."

Turning her face, perhaps to hide the tears that are starting to roll down her cheeks, Kanaya is silent for a torturous amount of time. "I need to go," she finally says. Rose follows and grabs her arm but she shouts, "No! Rose, no." Her voice catches and she wrenches her arm free.

Rose continues to follow her, all the way into the bedroom. There's a lot of door-slamming and indistinct shouting. Snatches like, "Six years, Rose!" and "I made a fucking mistake!" reach you in the kitchen where you scrub the same pan for about four minutes straight. John eventually walks up behind you and says with a shaky laugh, "I think that's clean."

"Sorry," you mutter.

"You do know it's not your fault, right?"

You don't respond.

\---

Kanaya leaves without another word to the rest of you. Dave walks in as she's storming out with her bags. He looks around wordlessly and sits on the loveseat, eyes finally settling on John, who is unbraiding your hair. "Well," he finally mumbles.

Sounding uncomfortable, John explains what happened. As he's wrapping up his narrative, Rose emerges, face tear-streaked and ruddy. "I hope you're happy," she snaps at you.

"Rose," John moans weakly. "Doncha think you're being a little..." he trails off, fidgeting.

"Out of line," Dave finishes decisively. Gaping, she starts to protest when he shakes his head.

The tension that ensues is, once again, broken by John. "Boy, I'm tired! Dave, don't you think it's time for bed?" When the siblings continue to glare at each other, he whimpers, "Dave! Bed!" and pouts rather impressively.

Sighing, he drawls, "Oh, darlin', I kay-uhnt dee-ny yeh anythan'."

Before going to their room, John pulls away from him to give Rose a hug. She looks startled but doesn't pull away.

\---

 

Kanaya wakes you early the next morning. "Come, I will buy you some Starbucks, but we must go."

Grumbling nonsensically, you rub your eyes with the heels of your hands all the way out of the apartment building and to her SUV. You practically crawl into the passenger seat and, when she starts the vehicle, you stare blearily at the clock. "Kanaya, not that I'm not glad to see you, but why the hell am I up at seven thirty in the morning?"

"Because we, you and I, have business to finish," she says gently.

For a while, you're silent. "Oh, so you've decided to murder me."

Shakily, she smiles. She pulls into a Starbucks drive-thru, forces a few espresso shots down your throat, and then is on her merry way, refusing to tell you where exactly the two of you are going. A few minutes past eight, she pulls into--

"A Harley dealership? Are you just trying to rub it in?" you demand.

As she parks, she regards you with some amusement. "Of course not. Pick one."

You feel your mouth fall open. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me. Now get out and look around," she says, hopping out and onto the pavement, her heels clicking sharply.

Cautiously, you look around, but after fifteen minutes you blurt, "I don't get it."

"What would you not get?" she asks. "Pick a bike, Vriska."

"But I--"

"Look, just fucking pick one," she snaps. "I am sorry. Please. Look, a wrong was done, I am trying to fix it. Just pick a bike."

\---

The motorcycle is beautiful and you don't dare look at the price tag. It rides like a dream and you just know there's some kind of catch.

She doesn't even let you come inside to sign the papers.

When she emerges, she's holding up a key. "One condition."

"Oh shit."

She ignores you. "Promise me you will not press charges against Rose," she says.

Frowning, you shake your head. "I'm sorry, you're not getting back with her, are you?"

"No. That is not what this is about," she replies sedately. "This is what many would call a cover-up or hush-up. She stole and sold your motorcycle--that was wrong and will be dealt with--but I am not sure the authorities are the correct ones to take care of it."

This shuts you up. It's both menacing and a little forgiving. That's somehow more terrifying than anything else.

"Well?"

"I... yes. I mean no, I won't press charges, I guess," you say, confused.

Looking relieved, she smiles and gives you the key and whatever paperwork that goes with the bike. She folds you into a gentle, almost motherly hug.

"I... thank you," you whisper.

She smiles very softly. She gets into her SUV and drives away. And you really think that's the last you'll ever see of Rose and Kanaya.

You look at the Harley.

You think you'll give riding off into the sunset a chance.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, guys, that's it. Thanks for all the good comments and kudos. I'm really honoured. I mean it. I feel like a celebrity. The title comes from the song "Hello and Goodbye" from the musical Evita. The line actually goes,  
> "Hello and goodbye,  
> I've just unemployed you,  
> You can go back to school.  
> You've had a good run.  
> I'm sure he enjoyed you.  
> Don't act sad or surprised,  
> Let's be friends, civilized."
> 
> O-oh, that's not actually a line. It's a whole verse.


End file.
